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August 27, 2011

Idaho: The Rest of the Story

While in Idaho visiting my husband's side of the family, I had the pleasure of meeting lots of wonderful people at The Quilt Crossing in Boise. I brought some of my samples to them for a trunk show, and I loved being in their beautiful shop so much I ended up spending quite a bit of time there! They were gracious enough to let me come and use their back room/sewing machine/cutting items for several hours because I was going crazy not being able to make anything during vacation. I'm pathetic, I know, but I had SOO much fun on the new quilt I started!

See what I mean?!! I spent all this past week finishing what I started in Boise. This is just a small peek, I'll post the whole thing after I get a pattern available to sell. And in case you're wondering, the strips are supposed to be all crooked and mis-aligned. :-) It adds to the craziness of it, which is very appropo for a Halloween quilt, no?

I found all sorts of fantastic fabrics and The Quilt Crossing, and when I got home I raided my own stash of fabrics as well. My favorites are the 2 orange and black ones from Alexander Henry on the far left - the cats and the trees. Actually I can't really pick out any definite favorites - they are all so fun! I love the way they interact with eachother.

Anyway, here are some of the awesome displays at The Quilt Crossing. I LOVE the red and black quilt above. Can you believe that the pieced area of that quilt was made with ONE fabric? You can learn how to do it with the book One Block Wonders, which you see perched on the table below the quilt. I actually have that book, but I never got around to making a quilt with that technique. I think it's high time to change that!

Just look at how gorgeous all those fabrics are!

There is even an entire row of bolts dedicated to polka dots. Aaahhh, heaven...this is truly my kind of store. Seriously, if you live in the Boise area, you need to come to this quilt shop. It will inspire you even if you're not into sewing that much.

I adore this quilt! How clever can a person get, eh? And the fabric choices are perfect. As the tag says, the quilt is called Frosty Treats by Ta Dah Designs. Love it, love it.

Can you say gorgeous saturated color? That's what pops into my mind when I see this quilt. And the embroidery!!! Absolutely incredible.

Speaking of color and embroidery, check this out...an entire wall of a breathtaking array of thread. I'm drooling.

They also have a fantastic display of country Christmas designs, many of which are created by 2 of the employees of the store. Such talent, such fun!

Okay, time to break away from the fabric scene. Grandpa and Grandma Detton have a pool (AND a water basketball hoop) in their backyard, so you can guess where my kids spent much of their time! They had an absolute blast.

Hazel had the time of her life with her newfound friend John. There was a big streetball tournament in Boise while we were there, and Steve joined up with a few other guys in the family plus John, who is a good friend of Tij. Remember Tij and Camille, the young couple I did the wedding reception for a couple of years ago?

They ended up winning the championship round for their division, hooray for them! Steve is very proud of his new championship T-shirt, as he should be - they all worked (and played) very hard to earn it.

It was blazing hot the day of the tournament, so an after-game pool party was great fun for everyone! Hazel and John hit it off smashingly.

This little piggy....

And look! It's Hyrum with a matching Harley D. mustache like Uncle Alan!

...Uncle Alan with the fabulous fashion statement you see at right. I guess that's what happens when you ride a Harley down from Montana...no room to pack pool shoes.

Very nice style, Alan, very nice. :-)

After 2 weeks, the fun came to an end and we survived the plane trip back to Virginia. I was hoping the kids would be so worn out (not to mention leaving at 4:30 am) that they'd sleep en route, but that was too much to hope for I guess.

Back at the ranch, here's Hazel with another one of her vignettes. She called it "Christmas Tree".

Nice work, Hazel! And once the installation is over, p-l-e-a-s-e go put all those random things back...oh, who am I kidding? That girl's favorite thing to do is go through the house and collect all sorts of random items and play with them for awhile, but the putting away part continues to elude her comprehension. Or so she claims. Good thing she's so cute.

Here's another summer project that was finished after returning from Idaho...I helped the daughters of 2 of my friends make quilts this summer, and we're finally done! They are so proud of their accomplishments, as well they should be - it was a lot of work but the end results were worth it. Now they have cozy quilts to snuggle with - quilts they made themselves!

Okay, please don't laugh at this chubby little guy, whatever he may look like to you. Eliza thought it was a mouse, Steve couldn't tell what the heck it was. I'll give you a hint; it has a long curly tail and eats bananas. Not the stuffed animal, the one in real life.

Deborah of One Heart Bulgaria asked me to develop some cute, easy stuffed animals for the orphan girls to make for themselves and others in their sewing class. This monkey-ish critter is prototype #3, and I'm learning that it's a lot harder than I thought to make a cute stuffed monkey that is super easy. Attempts #1 and #2 were complete failures in the Easy Category, so I kept simplifying to a point where I'm wondering if it's even recognizable. The ears are wrong, I have since realized I need to make them shorter and closer to the head. Other than that, I don't know what else I could do to make it simpler/cuter. If any of you have any bright ideas, or know of any other free stuffed animal patterns that are cute and super easy, please let me know. Thanks!

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Oh! I think Prototype #3 is super cute!

He reminds me of characters in Studio Ghibli movies. I think the only thing I would change is his tail, just because it looks like it might be kind of hard to put on. Maybe a nubby puff tail or a floppy, long braided tail?

I just love his broad, welcoming smile and his cute little belly button - how could I NOT laugh when I saw him - he made me feel happy!

Hello!

Thanks for visiting my blog! In short, I'm a wife, mother, artist, and just happen to have been born with an insatiable need to create beautiful things. I've categorized my creative endeavors into seven main areas, hence the 7 Layers; Textile/Pattern design, Sewing, Photography, Interior/Landscape design, Painting/Drawing, Monotypes/Printmaking, and Baking/Cake Decorating. There. I think that's 7(ish). You're welcome to use any of my ideas for personal use, but please do not copy and sell the things/ideas you see here without my permission. Thanks, and enjoy!

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